When you feel a grumble coming on about the biting winds and icy chills this January, remember it could be worse - you could be living in the city of Norilsk, Siberia, where the average annual temperature is -10 degrees Celsius, reaching lows of -55 degrees Celsius in winter.
The mining city, which is situated 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, first started attracting large numbers of inhabitants in the early 1900s, who arrived in the area to mine its rich mineral deposits.
The booming mining industry means the city now has a population of more than 170,000, even though the cold period extends for about 280 days per year, with more than 130 days featuring snowstorms and two months when there is only polar night, where darkness last for 24 hours.
* On approved credit